Billions of magazines and catalogs are received by Americans each year, which requires a lot of paper, energy, and transportation. The nature of magazines and catalogs is to be used and discarded, which makes them unsustainable. These products quickly accumulate and are often not properly recycled, which leads to additional waste in landfills. The problems associated with magazines and catalogs are one piece of the complicated matrix of problems in our society. You can help solve the problem by cancelling subscriptions, reusing, and recycling these products.
The Problem
Magazines and catalogs are produced in excess and are often discarded after someone flips through the pages once or twice. It is estimated that 2.26 million tons of magazines are generated each year, which equates to 16.7 pounds per person per year.(2) Approximately 19 billion catalogs are distributed to American's each year which uses 3.6 million tons of paper. (12) These staggering numbers occur because catalogs are sent to consumers after they purchase a product from a store as strategic marketing device to get people to buy more, whether or not the consumer wishes to receive them. Many people receive more magazines than they have time to read and companies often send duplicate catalogs to the same household. Companies also publish multiple editions of the same catalog by re-arranging the pages and putting on a new cover, which creates unnecessary waste. The content of catalogs and magazines in unsustainable because they encourage spending, which fuels the over consumption habit in our society. The production of the paper for these products and the transportation involved in shipping them are also unsustainable factors.
The paper used in magazines and catalogs is made in paper mills, along with all other paper products, and is considered a high grade paper. There are 4 paper mills in the U.S. that produce only catalog paper, 34 that produce only magazine paper, and many more that make both along with other paper. (8) To make the paper, wood is ground up and chemicals are added to break the wood down into fibers and form pulp. The pulp is then bleached, diluted, strained, and rolled into sheets through a series of large drums.(11) The paper used for catalogs and magazines gets a coating of kaolin clay to give it a glossy texture. When these products aren't recycled they end up in landfills or are burned in incinerators, but "Burning coated paper creates more ash than other forms of paper" and coated papers are "hard to compost because clay coating resists composting."(5)
"The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. It uses vast amounts of water and energy and produces significant amounts of pollutants and landfill waste." (10) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "methanol represents roughly 60 percent of the pulp and paper industry's TRI [Toxic Release Inventory] releases and transfers.", and chlorinated chemicals and sulfuric acid are other major toxic air pollutants released during the bleaching stage.(9) They also report that, "An average mill requires 10 million gallons of influent water per day and will produce the corresponding amount of effluent waters."(9) From reading a report by the EPA I gathered that approximately 70 different chemicals are released from paper mills.
The transportation involved in distributing magazines and catalogs to individuals requires consumption of fossil fuels and thus releases addition greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is estimated that the shipping of magazines and catalogs contributes to 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of 2 million cars.(6)
Stakeholders
We are all stakeholders in this issue because we all play a role in the problem and the consequences of these products affect our environment. The large companies that send out catalogs are stakeholders, because they rely on this form of advertising to sell a percentage of their products each year. A NY Times article discloses that, "Carolyn Beem, an L. L. Bean spokeswoman, said the company mails 250 million catalogs annually, “and we have one of the cleanest lists in the industry.” "(7) Magazine publishers, like TIME, are major stakeholders in the issue because this is their business and it is a successful one. TIME Magazine claims to be concerned with environmental issues and wants to reduce the impact of their products. Heather Rodenbach points out in her thesis that a case study done on TIME revealed, "For every ton of TIME magazines produced…1.17 tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. More than two-thirds of carbon is released from the operation of pulp and paper mills, from the generation of energy for the mills and…during the transport of wood fiber to the mills."(1)
Solutions
There are many things that can be done to help solve this problem. Magazines and catalogs can be recycled. "According to the Magazine Publishers of America, “most domestic curbside and drop-off recycling programs now accept magazines,” but “only about 20 percent of magazines are recycled from the home, even though at least two-thirds of the population has access to magazine recycling in their community”"(1) Taking advantage of recycling programs can help reduce magazine and catalogs waste. There are also many creative re-uses for these products from coasters to elaborate artwork. Used magazines can be donated to schools, doctor's offices, and non-profit organizations. Unsubscribing from catalogs is a great way to help prevent the problem. A program called Catalog Choice allows individuals to go online and unsubscribe from catalogs that they no longer wish to receive.(3) This program was created by the National Wildlife Federation in Virginia, the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York and the Ecology Center in Berkeley, and has been very successful since it launched in October of 2007.(4) Another alternative to magazines and catalogs is reading articles and shopping online.
2. Heather Rodenbach was a student at Pace University in the Dyson College of Arts & Sciences when she wrote this document about magazine production for her Master's thesis. She received her Master's degree in Publishing and there is no further information on her current job status.
3. The main argument of the text is that magazine publishers are one of the world's largest paper consumers and there needs to be analysis and improvement in the process to reduce the environmental impacts, specifically the carbon footprint.
4. This argument is fleshed out in three main ways throughout the paper. Rodenbach first explores the impact of magazine production by analyzing research done on the processes used by a few key publishing companies and organizations. The argument is supported with scientific data and corporate initiatives. She then explores what would make magazine production more sustainable by looking into different factors, like sustainable forestry. Finally, case studies are used to demonstrate how sustainable practices can be successful in the business.
5.The following three quotes capture the critical import of the text:
"In order to be successful in creating a sustainable environment, the magazine industry must be aware of the large impact it has on the world around them, use its resources efficiently and take responsibility for its own actions."
"Several of the industry’s top companies, such as Time Inc. and Rodale Inc., along with the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), have taken on the responsibility to initiate recycling and sustainability programs, and third-party audits and certifications, in hopes that other companies will follow their example to prolong the use of our environmental resources."
"In September 2008, fashion stylist Gina La Morte launched Boho Magazine, "the first fashion/lifestyle magazine printed on all recycled paper that’s ‘100 percent post consumer waste, which means that no tree was ever cut down to make it.’"
6. The argument and evidence in the text support my research focus into the sustainability of catalogs and magazines because Rodenbach presents a summary of scientific data about the impact of magazine production from reputable sources like the EPA. She also addresses many of the same aspects of the industry that I discussed, including paper mills, transportation, and excess.
7. In my presentation and post I used the detailed information that Rodenbach presented about the impact of each TIME magazine produced with respect to carbon emissions. I also referred to data provided by the MPA that Rodenbach discussed about recycling availability and statistics.
The Problem
Magazines and catalogs are produced in excess and are often discarded after someone flips through the pages once or twice. It is estimated that 2.26 million tons of magazines are generated each year, which equates to 16.7 pounds per person per year.(2) Approximately 19 billion catalogs are distributed to American's each year which uses 3.6 million tons of paper. (12) These staggering numbers occur because catalogs are sent to consumers after they purchase a product from a store as strategic marketing device to get people to buy more, whether or not the consumer wishes to receive them. Many people receive more magazines than they have time to read and companies often send duplicate catalogs to the same household. Companies also publish multiple editions of the same catalog by re-arranging the pages and putting on a new cover, which creates unnecessary waste. The content of catalogs and magazines in unsustainable because they encourage spending, which fuels the over consumption habit in our society. The production of the paper for these products and the transportation involved in shipping them are also unsustainable factors.The paper used in magazines and catalogs is made in paper mills, along with all other paper products, and is considered a high grade paper. There are 4 paper mills in the U.S. that produce only catalog paper, 34 that produce only magazine paper, and many more that make both along with other paper. (8) To make the paper, wood is ground up and chemicals are added to break the wood down into fibers and form pulp. The pulp is then bleached, diluted, strained, and rolled into sheets through a series of large drums.(11) The paper used for catalogs and magazines gets a coating of kaolin clay to give it a glossy texture. When these products aren't recycled they end up in landfills or are burned in incinerators, but "Burning coated paper creates more ash than other forms of paper" and coated papers are "hard to compost because clay coating resists composting."(5)
"The pulp and paper industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. It uses vast amounts of water and energy and produces significant amounts of pollutants and landfill waste." (10) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "methanol represents roughly 60 percent of the pulp and paper industry's TRI [Toxic Release Inventory] releases and transfers.", and chlorinated chemicals and sulfuric acid are other major toxic air pollutants released during the bleaching stage.(9) They also report that, "An average mill requires 10 million gallons of influent water per day and will produce the corresponding amount of effluent waters."(9) From reading a report by the EPA I gathered that approximately 70 different chemicals are released from paper mills.
The transportation involved in distributing magazines and catalogs to individuals requires consumption of fossil fuels and thus releases addition greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is estimated that the shipping of magazines and catalogs contributes to 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of 2 million cars.(6)
Stakeholders
We are all stakeholders in this issue because we all play a role in the problem and the consequences of these products affect our environment. The large companies that send out catalogs are stakeholders, because they rely on this form of advertising to sell a percentage of their products each year. A NY Times article discloses that, "Carolyn Beem, an L. L. Bean spokeswoman, said the company mails 250 million catalogs annually, “and we have one of the cleanest lists in the industry.” "(7) Magazine publishers, like TIME, are major stakeholders in the issue because this is their business and it is a successful one. TIME Magazine claims to be concerned with environmental issues and wants to reduce the impact of their products. Heather Rodenbach points out in her thesis that a case study done on TIME revealed, "For every ton of TIME magazines produced…1.17 tons of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere. More than two-thirds of carbon is released from the operation of pulp and paper mills, from the generation of energy for the mills and…during the transport of wood fiber to the mills."(1)Solutions
There are many things that can be done to help solve this problem. Magazines and catalogs can be recycled. "According to the Magazine Publishers of America, “most domestic curbside and drop-off recycling programs now accept magazines,” but “only about 20 percent of magazines are recycled from the home, even though at least two-thirds of the population has access to magazine recycling in their community”"(1) Taking advantage of recycling programs can help reduce magazine and catalogs waste. There are also many creative re-uses for these products from coasters to elaborate artwork. Used magazines can be donated to schools, doctor's offices, and non-profit organizations. Unsubscribing from catalogs is a great way to help prevent the problem. A program called Catalog Choice allows individuals to go online and unsubscribe from catalogs that they no longer wish to receive.(3) This program was created by the National Wildlife Federation in Virginia, the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York and the Ecology Center in Berkeley, and has been very successful since it launched in October of 2007.(4) Another alternative to magazines and catalogs is reading articles and shopping online.Links for Additional Information
1. Paper life-cycle: http://www.secret-life.org/paper/paper_environment.php#note42. Catalog Choice: https://www.catalogchoice.org/
3. How to recycle: http://www.ecolife.com/recycling/paper/how-to-recycle-magazines.html
References: Text
1. Rodenbach, Heather, "From Trees to Glossies" (2009). Master of Science in Publishing. Paper 8 http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dyson_mspublishing/82. http://www.irow.bz/index.cfm/pageview/contentpieceid/9634/
3. http://blog.sustainablog.org/2008/08/catalog-waste-part-1-now-is-the-time-ti-cancel-unwanted-catalogs-and-stop-paper-waste/
4. http://ecochildsplay.com/2007/12/28/stop-a-catalog-%E2%80%93-save-a-tree/
5. http://fileresource.sitepro.com/filemanager/266/filecollections/1242/Profiles%20in%20Garbage%20Magazines.pdf
6. http://www.ecolife.com/recycling/paper/how-to-recycle-magazines.html
7. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/fashion/18ROW.html
8.http://www.manta.com/mb_34_E026D_000/paper_mills
9. http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/assistance/sectors/notebooks/pulppasnp2.pdf
10.http://www.lovelyasatree.com/paper_issues.htm
11. http://www.paperindustry.com/paper-making-process.asp
12.http://earth911.com/recycling/paper/catalogs/facts-about-catalogs/
Annotations
NUMBER 1:1. Rodenbach, Heather, "From Trees to Glossies" (2009). Master of Science in Publishing. Paper 8 http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dyson_mspublishing/8
2. Heather Rodenbach was a student at Pace University in the Dyson College of Arts & Sciences when she wrote this document about magazine production for her Master's thesis. She received her Master's degree in Publishing and there is no further information on her current job status.
3. The main argument of the text is that magazine publishers are one of the world's largest paper consumers and there needs to be analysis and improvement in the process to reduce the environmental impacts, specifically the carbon footprint.
4. This argument is fleshed out in three main ways throughout the paper. Rodenbach first explores the impact of magazine production by analyzing research done on the processes used by a few key publishing companies and organizations. The argument is supported with scientific data and corporate initiatives. She then explores what would make magazine production more sustainable by looking into different factors, like sustainable forestry. Finally, case studies are used to demonstrate how sustainable practices can be successful in the business.
5.The following three quotes capture the critical import of the text:
"In order to be successful in creating a sustainable environment, the magazine industry must be aware of the large impact it has on the world around them, use its resources efficiently and take responsibility for its own actions."
"Several of the industry’s top companies, such as Time Inc. and Rodale Inc., along with the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), have taken on the responsibility to initiate recycling and sustainability programs, and third-party audits and certifications, in hopes that other companies will follow their example to prolong the use of our environmental resources."
"In September 2008, fashion stylist Gina La Morte launched Boho Magazine, "the first fashion/lifestyle magazine printed on all recycled paper that’s ‘100 percent post consumer waste, which means that no tree was ever cut down to make it.’"
6. The argument and evidence in the text support my research focus into the sustainability of catalogs and magazines because Rodenbach presents a summary of scientific data about the impact of magazine production from reputable sources like the EPA. She also addresses many of the same aspects of the industry that I discussed, including paper mills, transportation, and excess.
7. In my presentation and post I used the detailed information that Rodenbach presented about the impact of each TIME magazine produced with respect to carbon emissions. I also referred to data provided by the MPA that Rodenbach discussed about recycling availability and statistics.
References: Images1. Stack of Magazines/Catalogs: http://www.pennypinchinmom.com/2011/04/may-magazine-coupons/2. School Program: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ted-wells/kids-cancel-catalogs-to-s_b_152736.html3. NO Magazines: http://www.spidernetworks.net/links.htm4. Homemade Coasters: http://www.thoughtfullysimple.com/diy-coasters-recycled-magazine-coasters/5. Rolls of Paper: http://kaufmann-mercantile.com/paper-making/6. Paper Mill: http://www.lovelyasatree.com/paper_issues.htm7. Please Recycle: http://www.magazine.org/environment/21345.aspx8. USPS Truck: http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/joe_bohannon02.htm